Oil Creek State Park

Closed — Open year-round for backpacking and group camping. Reservations required and must be made at least 3 days in advance through the Pennsylvania State Parks system. Water is available seasonally at shelter areas.

About

Oil Creek State Park provides a unique backpacking experience in northwestern Pennsylvania, where scenic Oil Creek carves through deep hollows, steep hillsides, and wetlands. The park's 36-mile Gerard Hiking Trail encompasses the entire park, marked with yellow blazes, with five connecting white-blazed loops for shorter hikes. Two overnight shelter areas, Cow Run and Wolfkiel Run, are accessible only by hiking in. Each shelter area contains six Adirondack-style shelters with fireplaces, tent sites, composting toilets, and seasonal water supplies. Camping is permitted only in these designated shelter areas, with a limit of one night per site. The park also offers organized group tenting areas at Wildcat Hollow and behind the warming hut, each accommodating up to 25 people with picnic tables, fire circles, and composting toilets. Located between Titusville and Oil City along Pennsylvania Route 8, the park sits on the site of the world's first commercial oil well, interpreting the history of early petroleum industry boomtowns, oil wells, and transportation. Scenic vistas, waterfalls, and historic sites are prevalent throughout the trail system.

Directions

Between Titusville and Oil City along Pennsylvania Route 8. Main entrance is one mile north of Rouseville Borough, off PA 8.

Nearby Campgrounds